| Abstract: |
| Some pathogens can survive and replicate in abiotic environment outside the host systems and rely on the interaction with an environmental reservoir to transmit and infect hosts. Mathematical modeling can provide insights into the complex and often unknown dynamics of environmentally transmitted diseases. One such disease is Legionnaries` disease (LD), an atypical pneumonia caused by the inhalation of the intracellular bacterium Legionella pneumophila suspended in aerosolized water. Reported LD cases have been increasing since the early 2000s, with nearly 10,000 LD cases were reported in the United States. LD remains underdiagnosed and underreported; therefore, its true incidence is unknown. In this talk, I will present the models we developed to examine the factors that may have contributed to the increase in LD outbreaks, and the insights into management strategies using control theory. |
|